What is "Craft" in Craft Beer or Craft in general in any other industry? I had a customer at the restaurant i work at ask me this question and i actually had a hard time defining it. How would you define, explain this question? What is Craft, What is Craft to you?
Yo yo... http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/craft-brewer-defined
If someone asks me, which has only happened a few times, my answer is pretty much "beer that's made for the actual act of making beer and allows people to try beer styles that are otherwise neglected by the big brewers. Some stuff is creative and alot is really local. And almost always made in small batches compared to big breweries" That's usually the simplest explanation and allows people to ask follow up questions about styles, why big brewers neglect them, etc. We can discuss this for hours but when a BMC drinker or curious person asks I find it best not to bore them with details unless they ask for more. So I keep it short.
Everybody defines it differently. I personally do not agree with the Brewers Association's definition.
So the fact that I can get a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Anchor Steam and Boston Lager in all 50 states doesn't make them mass produced?
Okay, let's add beer flavor into this craft definition too. Light American lagers have a flavor that seems to be enjoyed by the masses. The craft brewer's intent to provide interesting flavors from various other style recipes have to be a part of the definition.
"small, independent and traditional", and gives a production size of less than 6,000,000 US beer barrels (700,000,000 L) a year and can not be more than 24% owned by another alcoholic beverage company that is not itself a craft brewery
Distribution != production. My defintion of craft, which has nothing (and everything) to do with beer is: the synthesis of engineering and art. Brewers are either industrial brewers or craft brewers. The line can be hard to define exactly, but I know it when I see it.
"Craft" is not an honorific term- it just means 'not those guys' when you boil it all down. All other ways of defining it tend to come up short.
My 2 cents, it's a retarded discussion. It's the equivalent of music fans asking "what is indie"...who gives a fuck.
“Like innovation and passion.” Hey, did AB send you the marketing briefcase for Black Crown!?! http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...owl-xlvii-commercial.60251/page-3#post-871977 Cheers!
After seeing some threads about different batches of a certain beer being "off" if this brewery isn't getting a good quality every time are they not craft? By the same definition if Coors hits all their quality check-points are they craft?
"Craft beer" should have absolutely nothing to do with production numbers. Production output and quality have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
So, I'm guessing such an answer, when given by OP to his obviously non-beer-geek customer, might result in a less than satisfactory tip.
So i said craft could be considered anything produced in small scale by artisans of there trade. using the best ingredients and products. Weather it be cheese makers, wine makers, brewers, cured meat butchers, artists, furniture makers, whatever... but then i got to thinking why isn't the consistency and quality control of BMC or tillamook cheese considered craft. They are masters at there trade but because they produce such large quantities they are exempt?
The term of craft beer is often associated with the ‘concept’ of quality. In other words some people would claim that craft beer = quality beer. If you are so inclined you can read all about folk’s differing opinions on what quality beer is:http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...the-quality-of-their-beers.57344/#post-763141 Cheers!
Unless you are making 5 gallons at a time in a carboy in the garage, I would consider it "mass produced". I am not sure that any beer (except homebrew) could be considered "hand made". Every brewery tour I have been on recently has lots of computers regulating temperature, opening and closing valves, bottling the beer, packaging, etc. I don't see many human hands involved.
What is Craft [Beer]? 1. Something I like to drink. 2. Something I enjoy drinking. 3. Something I anticipate enjoying for the rest of my life. 4. Something I will attempt to educate other people to enjoy. 5. Something BMC fears.
i keep it simple. beer that doesn't suck. just so happens that my personal definition of 'suck' is adjunct, watered down, mass marketed, crap.
It's too bad a bunch of shitty beers already took "premium", because I think if you're going to disregard production numbers, premium is the best description of a superior product made with the highest quality ingredients, which craft really is.
Yep. To elaborate, check out all the [url="http://www.rolec-gmbh.de/_engl/index.php?site=02]automated brewhouses[/url] that craft beer companies have purchased. Not only do many of these systems do the "physical labor," but many make process "decisions" during each batch.
A beer brewed with high quality ingredients and in a manner that produces fresh and intended smells and flavors. That is what it boils down to to me. I am not going to use "tastes good" as a factor because it is too subjective.
